The present disclosure relates generally to a fluid conduit arrangement including an inner flexible conduit and an outer rigid conduit to remove fluid(s) from an extended segment of conduit by evacuating fluid out by force. From time to time, fluid will not be completely evacuated due to orientation of the conduit arrangement and/or related connectors.
In applications where temperatures, pressure, chemical, molecular, reactive, light sensitive, environmental and aging changes can cause viscosity or phase (i.e. liquid to solid) changes in the working fluid, it is desirable to remove the working fluid before the viscosity change or phase change occurs. This application relates to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/059,593 filed Oct. 22, 2013, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0116522 published May 1, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In many of the devices that incorporate the previous disclosure, there are also contingent devices connected or secured to the conduit arrangement that also need to be evacuated. For example, in the filling of certain fluids on large mobile equipment, the receiving reservoir is heated, but the on vehicle supply hose from the on vehicle fill receiver location may or may not be heated. In instances where it is not heated, certain fluids can freeze causing damage to the system and/or preventing further filling until the conduit arrangement is heated enough to return the fluid to its original fluid phase. In vehicles where the supply conduit is heated, it can require a large amount of energy to maintain a thawed fluid flow path.
In applications where the fluid is of high monetary value or shelf life dependent, it is critical to guarantee all fluid is evacuated from the conduit arrangement to the receiving vessel or reservoir. Other cases require that fluid not be allowed to reenter the supply station in order to prevent the contamination of the supply fluid source.
The present disclosure describes a method and apparatus for assuring all supply of fluid is evacuated from the conduit arrangement into the receiving reservoir. The apparatus incorporates a pressure source that is oriented in such a manner that will allow the fluid to be completely eliminated from the inner conduit. It also includes one or more of the following: a fluid sensing mechanism and pressure monitoring control system, a pump, and a sensor system to evacuate the inner conduit as well as contingent devices such as receivers, valves and couplings. The method describes the application or use of the apparatus to accomplish total evacuation of the fluids from contingent and connected devices.